Sticks and Stones
by Miss M.K Greer
Summary: When a new pretty social worker takes up residence on the surgical floor, Alex Karev is instantly attracted - becoming even more so when she shows no interest. But she's hiding something. Will it hurt them? Will they ever get a chance to be together?


She walked into the hospital, wearing a new pantsuit she'd bought herself as a gift for making it through college and getting a job straight away. Collecting her name badge, she walked towards the elevator to head up to the surgical floor when someone brushed past her in a rush. Looking up to glare at him as he shoved his way onto the lift.

Karev caught a glimpse of the woman he'd just pushed and bit his lip. "Sorry, I'm late for work." He shrugged hoping to win her over with his charm.

She pursed her lips and shook her head, "And that's not my problem." She retorted moving to stand on the opposite side of the shaft. He was shocked she had the guts to say that to her and it turned him on, he couldn't lie.

Holding his hand out, he said – "Alex Karev, resident." Taking a look at him, she couldn't deny that he was good looking but he seemed like a total ass. "Grace Carlson, social worker." She replied shaking his hand nervously.

He was completely infatuated by this woman. She had something about her, and after having dealt with the whole Izzy leaving and Lexie going crazy after the shooting, he wanted normal. And hot would be good too, but normal was the priority. At lunch, he looked around for her for a while before taking his seat at their usual table. "Have any of you met the new surgical social worker?" He asked casually biting into an apple.

Everyone dropped their other conversations and stared at him. Mark squinted at him, "Why? I mean I can go and meet her if you want me to Karev…" He smirked winking at Alex.

Alex threw him a look and shook his head while everyone laughed. "Why would we meet a social worker?" Meredith asked trying not to laugh. He rolled his eyes shoving his tray away and grabbing his coffee before storming off. Everyone looked at each other and shrugged, he was always angry but never normally about women.

She was standing by her desk doing paperwork, when he knocked on the door. She raised her eyebrows but replied with "Come in…" He held up a cup of coffee to her before placing it on her desk.

"I didn't see you at lunch, figured you might like a coffee." She gestured for him to take a seat and he obliged before sitting across from him and ensuring her paperwork was covered. "Thanks." She said taking the cup gratefully. "It's the least I could do after this morning when I was so rude." She smiled and nodded. "It is actually." Her smile had him bowled over. She was gorgeous and he wanted nothing more than to be around her all the time, despite having met her less than 12 hours ago, and barely spoken a word to her. "I'll let you get back to it." He says standing up as she nods letting him show himself out.

* * *

Over a week, he spent every moment at work trying to meet up with her, scheduling paediatric appointments with the social worker.

"Again, Dr Karev?" Grace asked walking towards where he was standing in front of a treatment room on the paediatric ward. "Let me guess, some kid fell over and now I need to do a welfare check?" She retorted taking the file and raising her eyebrow indicating for him to speak.

"Well if you would go out for dinner with me, maybe we could stop liaising like this?" He winked at her as she shook her head.

"You sound an awful lot like Mark Sloan right now…so perhaps find a new tactic for picking up women." She replied, walking away her body making Karev crave her even more. "I'll convince you eventually." He yelled down the hall at her, while Grace just waved her hand back at him. "I'm not listening." She replied making him laugh.

The afternoon at lunch, he watched as she sat down at a table by herself, her face deep into a file that she barely looked up when she sat down across from her. "Hi?" She said looking confused as he just sat there.

"Hey," He nodded just smiling at her as she rolled her eyes and looked back down at her file.

"Perhaps you could go and sit with people who actually wish to have a conversation with you?"

Karev tapped her file ignoring her statement. "Whose kid are you taking away today? Or is it a self harmer that you're setting up therapy for?"

Grace glared at him. "That's definitely the way to win a woman over. Insulting her job and making comments about the kind of person she is." Grabbing her file, she stood up and stormed off. Karev instantly felt like an ass and it was deserved. Grabbing his tray, he shoved it in the bin and stormed off down the hall towards her office.

* * *

He barged in, "I'm sorry, but I was just joking! Can't you take a damn joke for once!" He shouted from the doorway.

She looked up at him from where she was typing on her laptop. "Dr Karev, is there something you would like to discuss? Because if not, I am very busy and I'm sure there's plenty of people who need a doctor out there. I have children to remove from their families." She spat as politely as she could. He shook his head and slammed the door behind him.

Lexi watched on from the nurse's desk trying not to laugh. "Don't think she's your biggest fan…" Jackson laughed at her comment from where he was standing look over a patient chart.

"Don't you have a psych ward to admit yourself to Grey?" He snarled heading back to the elevator.

He couldn't leave her for an hour. Heading back down the familiar hall to where her office was, he knocked politely before entering.

She rolled her eyes and put her pen looking up expectantly without saying a word. "What's your problem with me?" He asked, standing over her desk, his palms slammed down over her files so she had to concentrate on him.

"I think you're entitled, rude and exactly the kind of person I don't want to surround myself with, let alone date." Grace replied. "Next question. Or does that answer everything?"

Alex shook his head, "One date. One dinner, no strings. I tell you what a great doctor I am, I listen to you tell your boring social worker stories. I guarantee you'll change your opinion."

Grace started to laugh before standing up herself. "You think after everything you've said to me, I'd be interested? Seriously? What kind of women are you used to?"

Shaking her head in disbelief, Grace walked over to the door and held it wide open for him. "Thank you for the offer, Dr Karev – but it's a no."


End file.
